May 10, 2007 - 7:50am
Erika Blakeman always had dreams of becoming a teacher, but as a young girl in Germany, born in a refugee camp during the war, she never dreamed she’d become a nurse. As she retires from Malaspina University-College this month after 28 years of distinguished service, she has been fortunate enough to travel both those paths and collect an infinite number of priceless memories along the way.
“I’m looking forward to my retirement,” said Blakeman, now a former professor in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. “I’ve worked a long time and I’m ready to move on to something new.”
Blakeman was born in a German refugee camp and spent the first three years of her life there before her family was relocated to a small farming community in Northern Germany. In 1955, the family immigrated to Southern Alberta, where they experienced language and cultural barriers, but still loved Canada for its immensity and the feeling of freedom and hope it provided.
When her father became ill in those first few years, she was amazed at how angelic the hospital nurses were and decided to enrol at the Holy Cross School of Nursing in Calgary.
“I was a little girl from the farm, so the nuns embraced me and taught me all they could,” she said. “The nuns gave us something intangible that inspired me. I was moved by the work they did and the feeling of serenity and acceptance around them.”
During her time as a student, Blakeman learned a lot about herself, particularly when faced with her own health problems. Working through those challenges, she gained a new appreciation for life. Ultimately, that period of time influenced her work as a nurse and later, as a teacher.
While Blakeman finished her schooling, she was faced with many challenging moments, both inspiring and heartbreaking, including a three-year old child who died in her arms and her time spent caring for a two-year old orphan.
“The nuns would buy clothes for him, so I could take him to the park on my days off. When I first saw him, he was lying in a crib with both arms tied to the crib rails and a blood transfusion tube in each arm. He opened his eyes and smiled at me. It was just one of those moments you never forget where you’re amazed and inspired by the power of the human spirit.”
After several years working as a nurse, Blakeman came to Nanaimo in 1969 and eventually to Malaspina in 1979 to teach a registered nurse refresher course. Later, she moved on to teach in the Practical Nursing program, the Home Support/Resident Care Attendant program, the Diploma Nursing program and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Working out of tiny huts at the bottom of the campus in those first few years, she came to love working with students and fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher.
“Teaching felt very natural because I always helped instruct the nursing students while working as a nurse in the wards. It inspires me to help students develop their confidence. I love stretching students as far as they can go, but I’m also their safety net, and if they stumble, I’ll be there to pick them up.”
While life at Malaspina and in the world of nursing has changed dramatically since 1979, Blakeman has stayed dedicated to her students, maintaining her promise to be honest and straight with them at all times.
Now, at the end of her teaching career, she takes great pride in the achievements of her students, especially those that overcame difficulties and moved on to successful careers.
With her own journey about to take a different path and with so many great stories to tell, Blakeman can look back on her life and smile because memories like those last forever.
Tags: In the Community
